-TO SAY HE WAS NERVOUS was an extreme understatement. The poor boy was absolutely terrified. He asked himself trivial questions, all ultimately winding down to a panicked 'i don't know!' in the end. Does he smell good? Does he look good? How was his hair? Was it too messy? Completely normal? Overly stiff? The ravenette hadn't the slightest clue. Heck, he didn't even know the likes of him could even think of such idiotic things.
But apparently, all you needed to do was to be (L/N) (Y/N); be dumb, dense, and atrociously adorable at times. God, this was going to be rough. Luckily, he had brought a book just in case you were late, so now his brain was slightly less muddled and more occupied by the world of fiction.
A few minutes blitz by, and he suddenly feels a presence behind him. Think you were being sneaky? He thought to himself as the individual came closer. "Bo- ow!" Before you were able to give the boy a scare, he had smacked you with his book; leaving you scratching your nose. "Hey! What was that for??!" You shrieked as you rub your red nose. The ravenette chuckled in triumph, placing his elbow on the back of his chair and leaning on it. He looked back at you, smirking at your defeated figure.
"Did you really just try that? How childish." He laughed, his demeanor calm and composed in attempt to cover his spiking anxiety. "W-well, you didn't have to smack me with a hardbound book!" You defended as you got up and took a seat across the boy. He scoffed at your measley excuse, rolling his eyes playfully. "It's self defense." The boy rolled his eyes humorously, trying his hardest to seem confident and carefree. You looked at your date with a mixture of skepticism and observation.
Feeling uncomfortable at the thought of being judged, the ravenette cleats his throat; attempting to put a veil on his worries. "Moving on from that, what do you want to eat?" He asked, quickly shifting the topic. "Eat already? It's barely even seven pm yet." You respond, testing his abilities to keep the conversation going in the meantime.
"I thought you liked eating."
"Well yeah! Of course I do, I mean, everyone does!"
"So we should eat."
You frown at his persistence. "We'll eat, just not yet. Do you wanna play Uno?" You challenge, a smirk tugging at the ends of your lips. "Uno?" The boy cocks a brow at your rather obscure request. "Oh no, don't tell me you've never played Uno!!" You dramatize, pretending to faint in the most absurd way. "I know what it is. The card game, right? Its just that, where do you suppose we can find a stack?" He questioned with furrowed brows.
You smirk playfully, rummaging through your bag until you find the familiar set of cards you had brought along just in case. "I am glad you asked!" You declare, placing the box of cards on the table. "You brought your Uno cards on a date?" He deadpanned.
"As a matter of fact, I did." You state proudly. "Now, do you wanna play or not?" You ask again. The boy scoffed at your strange ideas, but ultimately agrees nevertheless.
-
"Uno!" You yell out, making the boy across you grumble cutely. The time was now seven thirty in the evening, and you were now on your third round of Uno. The waiters had grown to be found of you two, occasionally checking who's cards were better and dropping hints at the other person every now and then. They didn't know why on earth a person would even think of playing Uno in a family restaurant, but perhaps that was why it was so amusing to them. "You're lucking out way too much." The ravenette groaned in annoyance.
You flashed him a mischievous grin, fanning yourself with the only card that remained in your hand. Much to your surprise, the boy placed down a +4 card. Unfortunately for him however, your final card just happened to be a +4 card as well; meaning he never stood a chance to begin with. You place down your last card, quickly cheering in triumph upon seeing his disheartened features. "Hehe~ I won!!!" You exclaim, the waiters clapping softly at your tiny achievement.
The boy grumbled sourly, his expression resembling on of a kid's after getting picked on. You lean back in your chair, sighing in satisfaction. "Alright! Now I'm ready to order!" You proclaim as one of the waiters stepped up to your table. The waitress giggled softly whilst she greeted you. "That was quite a match you two had back there, it was very amusing to watch. Are you two a couple?" She questioned softly. "No, we aren't." Ray says in a somewhat dejected manner. "Yes, we are!" You joke, the ravenette's ears turning red at your response.
"What??!"
"What?"
The waitress chuckled gently at your interactions, getting the clear picture. "Forgive me for asking. But anyway, what would you two like?" She inquires. "Oh, yeah! I'd like some spicy ramen please!" You request energetically. "I'll have some cold soba." The boy replies. "Alright, coming right up." The waitress finishes, swiftly leaving you two alone.
"What was that for?" Ray asked, his dark green eyes piercing through you. You tilt your head in confusion. "I know you like your jokes, and I'm fine with them too; but please keep that within our group of friends." He scolded. "Sorry, did I take it too far?" You apologize. "It's just that, you were really weird earlier." You mention.
The ravenette let's out a confused 'huh?' in response to your statement. "Well, you looked like you were walking on eggshells... Sorry, I just, wanted you to let loose a little." You state somewhat awkwardly. The boy's eyes widen, shocked that you picked up on something he so desperately tried to hide.
The ravenette averts his gaze as he covers mouth with his palm. "M-my bad. I was just anxious, is all." He stutters out. "Hehe~ did I make the oh so stoic Ray stutter just now?" You teased as your orders arrived a little later.
-
"Alright, say 'ah~' Ray!" You say as you prop your spoon up closer to his mouth. "Gah! Not this again... Get away from me!" The ravenette whines whilst covering himself with his arm. You attempt to shove the spoon in his mouth forcefully, but to no avail. You push on anyway, but to his and your dismay, the soup spilled over from your spoon to his shirt.
You both simultaneously glance up at each other, his unimpressed look meeting your face of apology. "Oops." You giggle, sitting back down on your chair as the boy asked for tissue. "Hehe... Sorry?" You stammer, grinning at him with an awkward grin. The boy's eyes furrowed, still remaining unamused by your lousy apology.
Without a word, he scoffed and rolled his eyes; proceeding to wipe his clothes. "S-sorry, did I really offend you this time?" You question as you peered down at him. "It's fine. The scene just feels familiar, like it happened before." He responds, putting emphasis on the last. You chuckle as you recall that event in your dorm. "Haha! Talk about deja vu." You laugh gleefully.
The ravenette's ears turn red at the sight of your carefree laughter. However, his face remained soft, an adoring smile gracing his features; not minding how his pulse quickened. He cleared his throat, regaining your attention. "On another note, I've been meaning to get this new book from the nearby bookstore, is that fine with you?" He suggests, a part of him not wanting this to end; especially knowing what would meet him by the end of his appointment with you. "Eh,, books? I'm not really one for books." You state as Ray began paying for the meal. "...but, if that's where you wanna go, sure!" You finish enthusiastically. The boy across you froze for a minute, before breathing out a sigh of satisfaction. "Yeah, let's go." He says, standing up to leave the ramen place.
-
You two laughed as you both exchanged funny memories. "-so mama didn't allow us to climb the wall. But later on in the evening me and Emma climbed it anyway. Norman left early, so he couldn't come along." The ravenette finished. You let out amazed 'oh's' at his tales. "Woah, that's awesome!" You exclaim, looking directly at him. Which I guess you could say was your first mistake. Your second mistake would probably be almost banging your head on a glass door. Fortunately for you, Ray had placed his palm over your forehead, preventing you from quite literally running into the book store's door.
"You idiot." He scolded your carelessness. "Yikes! I could've died!!" You shriek as he opens the door for you courteously. "Damn, thanks for being such a reliable boyfriend, Ray!" You thank as you pat his back. The ravenette froze at your choice of words. The words had escaped from your lips so casually, he almost believed them. He was about to question you about until you let out an excited yell. "Woah, Ray come look at this!!" You invite energetically.
As expected, you were in the manga section, gawking at your favorite manga sitting on the shelf. "It- it's the newest volume!!! And- and, it's the last one!!" You announce as the boy walks to another section of the store. Not having enough money with you, and figuring the rich boy you came in with had plenty mode to share, you came up with an idea. You follow him as he stops by to check a certain book. You peer up at him, clearing your throat in an attempt to gain his attention.
"So, as it turns out- I kinda don't have enough money for it yet." You mention, trying to steer him in the right direction. "B-but, I will soon!" You quickly add.
"So... You know, if you could just-"
"No."
"Aw, come on!"
You pout as he continuously ignores you. "C'mon, you do know that you're my favorite person ever, right?" You flatter, following him around like a lost puppy. The boy glares at you. "Under different circumstances, I wouldn't mind that joke." He responds in a rather hostile manner. Too desperate to get the manga volume, you pay little attention to his scolding. "Okay, but I'm serious! I'll pay you back, I swear!" You promise, holding up your pinky. The green eyed boy pays little mind to your antics and instead keeps sifting through the books.
This sequence repeats multiple times, until the ravenette finally cracks. "Oh come on!! What's it gonna take for you to even consider getting it for me?" You huff, crossing your arms over your chest. The boy sighs in defeat before finally glancing your way. "How about a 'please'?" He suggests, erupting in a bewildered response out of you. "Hah??! I've been saying 'please' for the past ten minutes!" You reason. "Do you want it or not?" He inquires, testing your stubbornness.
"I-" You stutter. "I do want it..." You sulk, having to set your pride aside for the precious manga volume. Facing the boy directly, you furrow your brow in a determined manner. "Please get me the manga volume, Ray!" You plead, bowing down ninety degrees. The ravenette chuckles softly, patting your head softly as an indication to rise your head. "Yeah, anything for you." He blurts out. Your eyes widen at the sincerity of his voice. He didn't say what he said as a way to tease, or elicit a reaction out of you like you had the tendency to do. He was being genuine.
Upon stumbling upon that realization, a familiar heat rushed to your cheeks; suddenly feeling flustered because of his words. "Hey, you can stop bowing now. I got the book I wanted when we first entered." He snaps you out if your state of embarrassment. You glance up, only to notice that he was already lining up to buy the books. You swiftly follow him, clearing your throat. "So, anything for me, huh?" You quote, shifting back into your teasing mode. The raven haired boy scoffs, rolling his eyes at your remark.
"Don't let it get to your head. You didn't think I actually meant it, did you?" He retorts as the cashier lady placed the two books in separate paper bags. "Sure, sure. Really believable statement there, buddy." You taunt, grabbing your own paper bag. Finally, after a good twelve minutes in the book store, you two exit out into the starry night. Curiously, you peek into the paper bag, making sure you actually got the book. Your eyes light up at the sight of it, your face melting into one of a joyous grin.
Upon seeing your radiant face, the boy can't help but feel a sense of happiness as well; as a soft smile crept onto his lips. Yeah, anything for you. The ravenette thought to himself, wanting to scold himself for being this smitten. He began laughing silently to himself, causing you to question his sanity.
-
A brisk walk under the careful gaze of the moon was all it took to reach your dorm, otherwise what Ray believed to be the most difficult part of the entire date endeavor. "Thanks for tonight. I had a lot of fun." You thanked warmly. The boy gulped as his palms began to sweat. "Ahem. Yeah, thanks to you as well. But... Do you... Have an answer?" The ravenette choked out as he averted his gaze. "Ah... Yeah, about that..." You mumbled incoherently. The boy felt a gust of wind blow, sending shivers down his spine. The tips of his fingers felt frigid, but began sweating at the same time. He gulped.
"Yeah, so uhm, I need your help with that." You say, leaving the ravenette all confused. "Huh?" He breathes out, causing you to sigh awkwardly. "Well, I was expecting you to make some romantic gesture or whatever, and see how I'd react to it then! I mean, isn't that how it goes in manga?" You reason, flailing your arms around repeatedly. You continue your tangent, but Ray was no longer paying attention. Instead, he was racking his brain for a solution. Romantic gesture? He thought to himself. What could possibly be considered as a 'romantic gesture' to someone like you?
Finally, an idea hit him. "Alright, I'll help you out." He declares, sticking his pointer finger upwards. You listen to him intently, expecting him to speak up. Instead, he wraps his arms around you, engulfing you in his warm embrace. You are caught off guard, as you slowly stand on your toes to hug him back. "Now, imagine me as a significant other hugging you right now. Can you see that happening, or, would you prefer it to happen?" He questions.
"W-well... Yeah, sort of." You stammer, instinctively hugging him tighter in embarrassment. The boy feels a wave of hope and triumph wash over him as he breathed out a sigh of relief. "Please tell me your heart is racing right now.." He pleaded in desperation, his voice sounding undeniably vulnerable. You chuckled wryly. "And if it isn't?" You question.
He tensed up. The boy didn't answer, and instead gripped onto you tighter. You gave it some more thought. Did you see him in the same light we your other male friends? Like Don, maybe? Hell no. Did you find more comfort in him than anyone else? Undeniably, yes. Did a small, tiny part of you harbor romantic feelings for him? "Yeah." You muttered out of the blue, causing Ray to abruptly let go of you.
"I think I like you too, Ray." You flash him a close eyed smile, feeling just a little awkward. The ravenette's ears turn red as he flinched. "T-then... Will you... You know.." He finally asks, his figure still tense. You giggled gleefully at his behavior. "Sure, I guess." You shrugged in a joking manner. The two of you laughed, your worries for the future dissipating for a moment.
"(Y/N)? Is that you outside?" You hear Gilda call for you, remembering the time she had set for you to be back by. "Ah! I have to go, but thanks for tonight! I'll see you tomorrow!" You bid farewell to your now official 'boyfriend.'
The boy waved good night in response as you entered the dorm. Finally, he crouches down, looking at the floor in attempt to hide his probably blushing face. "Jeez... That was horrifying." He mumbled, just loud enough for his tall junior to hear. "What was?" Don asked. The ravenette jolted up, letting out a terrified yell.
"What the fu-!"
HIIIIIIII this is the second to the last chapter!! I'm really sorry for missing last week, I couldn't finish on time. but here it is now! actually the ending was kinda wack,, I think I was tryna be funny. ignore that.
but yes, this ff will be coming to an end next week (probably)!
oh also,, I'm thinking of making a sequel. not anytime soon, but I kinda wanna post a prequel and start updating regularly whenever. your thoughts? that, or I could just upload a bonus chapter. but yeah, that's all. thanks for reading, ily and have a great day!